Device for making pair comparisons



Sept. 20, 1960 Filed Aug. 21, 1957 J. B. TlERNEY DEVICE FOR MAKING PAIR COMPARISONS 2 Sheets-Sheet l CI E l3 :1 III III [JD :1

III an El INYENTOR.

l 1950 .1. B. TIERNEY 2,952,924

DEVICE FOR MAKING PAIR COMPARISONS Filed Aug. 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTOR. John 5 Taer'n y, BYjm x M United States Patent DEVICE FOR MAKING PAIR COMPARISONS John B. Tierney, 74 Birch St, Park Forest, 111.

Filed Aug. 21, 1957, Ser. No. 679,492

6 Claims. (CI. 35-48) This invention relates to novel means for rating and/or ranking individual items of a group in a manner so as to encourage subjective judgment on the part of the checker in the rating and/or comparing process and consequently to increase the reliability of the results. More particularly the invention relates to a novel device for job analysis utilizing the principles of pair-comparisons and random judgments. The invention, altho primarily conceived as a tool for use in rating individuals and/or the relative importance of their jobs in an organization, also has application in market research, as for use in comparing slogans, brand names, colors, etc. Generally speaking, it will have utility in comparison checks of anything where subjective judgments is important such as in selecting between alternate courses of actions, alternate proposals, experimental formulae, etc.

The invention is predicated on an assumption that subjective judgment can be easier, and more efiectively and satisfactorily exercised, when an individual is requested to compare two things than is possible when he is asked to compare one with many. For example, in judging two oranges, as for overall appearance, an individual can usually readily pick one over the other. However, when he has to pick one from a group of ten oranges, and then one from nine as second best and so on, the test becomes more difficult, and the reliability of the comparison suffers.

Thus a first and principal object of the invention is to provide a means of presenting to a judge in pairs the various items of a group to be compared, whereby the task is made simple, judgments are improved, and the results more reliable.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of making pair comparisons among the items of a group wherein the items to be thus compared are arranged Without regard to any preconceived pattern or notion and so that the area of judgment of the individual making pair-comparisons between the different items of the group is constantly interrupted and it is made diflicult for him to fall into a routine. For example, if a judge were rating oranges all the time, there would be a tendency for him to become lax in judgment. But if he is required to judge oranges for a while, and then something else for a While, as apples, followed by pears, then peaches and back again to oranges, a reorientation in the judges mind is continuously required as to standards etc., and, at least theoretically, better judgments result.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means of making pair-comparisons of several items, wherein both items in the pair are constantly changed so that the judge cannot easily fall back on experience gained by his previous judgment, but is forced to constantly alert himself as to the standards involved in a comparison of the pair at hand.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simple workable device which will be useful in pairing items of a group for comparisons in a manner such that 2,952,924 Patented Sept. 20, 1960 the area of the checkers judgment is constantly interrupted and thereby forces him into subjective thought in the comparison of each pair as it is presented to him for judgment.

With these and other objects of the invention in mind, and which are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the appended claims, specific embodiments of the invention and the manner in which it is practiced will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a pair-comparison device according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section taken therethrough, its parts being shown in exploded relation;

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing an alternative construction; and

Figure 4 illustrates schematically how the openings in the rotatable bafile or template are preferably arranged.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the device is seen to comprise a base 11 which may be of rigid durable material, such as pressed paper, cardboard, or the like which presents a smooth writing surface and serves as a support for a record sheet 12. Mounted thereon in offset relation to rotate about its center is a square-shaped template 13 which may be of thin metal, plastic, cardboard or other opaque shape retaining material. Any suitable means 14 such as a pin, screw or the like, which may be permanently or otherwise mounted in or on base 11 and has a shank portion 15 to pierce the record sheet 12 and pass through opening 16 in the template 13 to rotatably support the same may be employed. If thought necessary or desired, in order to more positively hold the parts together, locking means, in the form of a cap or nut such as 17, may be provided for connection with shank 15 of pin 14.

In a more simple form of the device, base 11 could be eliminated and template 13 rotatably attached directly to the record paper 12 itself, by any desired means, such as the aforementioned pin or screw or by one of the commonly available round head fasteners or rivets 114 having bifurcated flexible shank portions 115 which can be bent back to hold the template and record sheet therebetween and the head of such a fastener, see Figure 3.

As illustrated in Figure 1 template 13 is rotatably mounted on sheet 12, and base 11 if used, in oifset relation thereto so as to leave space on the sheet 12 along the left hand side of the template for a vertical column 18 of spaces in which the jobs or other items to be compared are randomly listed and for a horizontally disposed column 19 along the top of the template having spaces in which the items can be similarly listed.

So that the template may be used for its intended purpose of guiding the judge in his pair-comparison of the items, as seen in said Figure 1, the template 13 is provided with a plurality of staggered openings 20, each of which will be aligned with an item in column'18 and also with an item in column 19 in any of the four possible positions to which the template 13 may be rotated about its connection, i.e. while maintaining its sides in normal and/or paralleling relation to the two mentioned columns 18 and 19, one of which possible posi tions is illustrated in Figure l. The number as well as locations of said openings 20 in the template 13 is such that in each of the four possible positions to which the template may be thus rotated, each item in column 18 will be aligned with a line of spaced openings each of which in turn is aligned with an item in column 19. Thus the openings in the template serve first as an indicator to the user which items are to be paired for comparison. Secondly, said openings also serve as a guide through which the record sheet 12 beneath may be marked to record the results of each pair comparison. Although any desired system of marking may be utilized, one particularly useful system devised involves marking a plus (+)j through theopening when the item in column 18 is' considered ofgreatersignificance that the one in colurnn-19, a minus when his considered of less significance, or with a zero (0) when no difference is seen or the items are considered to be equal. Other marking systems such as would permit the sheet 12 to be scored for processing through or by electronic computing machines are also contemplated and are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that each item I i in 'columnlS is thus paired for comparison and marking of sheet 12 by said openings 20 with a limited number of items from column 19 and that not only arethe items from column 19 selected so as to be in non-adjacent relation but so that each successive item in column 18 is paired with a group of items in column 19 whose members differ from those in the group with which the preceding item was checked. Although the number from column 19 with which each item in column 18 may be thus paired in anyone position of template 13 is less than the total, the relation of the openings in the template is such that by rotating the template in increments of 90to its four possible aligned positions, each item in column 18 will be eventually paired by said openings 20 with all of the items incolumn 19.

Although conceivably a number of arrangements of the openings 20 in template 13 might be worked out for accomplishing the described result, I hav e found the relation of openings, 20 can be correctly. arranged, as illustrated in Figure 4, by dividing the square template into equidimensional square areas 21, the number of which. in its two dimensions equal the number of spaces or items in columns 18 and 19. In the illustrated examplethis would require 24 to a side or a total of 576 squares. One of the corner square areas, indicated in Figure 4 by 22, is then designated for vaperturing as the first of said openings 20 and then, proceeding in a spiral pattern about the template to the center thereof as indicatedby dot-dash line 23, every fourth squared area is similarly designated as the location for the other of said openings 20. 7

In using the device, if the jobs in a particular organization are to be rated by one or more judges, each judge may be supplied witha record sheet 12 in which the jobs have been randomly listed in vertical column 18 andhorizontal column 19, the letters A through X being used in Figure 1 for convenience of illustration. Opaque template 13 is rotatably mounted thereover by,means 14 or 114 and the judgeor judges asked to mark their .sheet 12 through each of template openings 20 to indicate their preference between the two jobs from each of column 18 and 19 that are paired by the openings 20 in template 13., Thus in Figure 1 he would compare job A with A (itself), then with E, I, M, Q and U; then job A with B (itself), F, I, N, R, V and X and so on until each of jobs A through X had been rated for said position of template 13. Thereupon they would turn the template 90 either clockwise or counterclock and repeat the steps of comparing A through X from column 18 with the items paired therewith by openings 20 in the template. The template is twice more turned 90 at a time and said pairing and marking stepsv followed .through for each of the four possible positions of the template to which it may be adjusted. This completes the check and the marked sheet 12 is ready for the analysis.

Most of the prior systems used to rate individuals and/or jobs (for which the device is primarily intended) relied on factors, point values, weightings, degrees and the like to establish relative values. Obviously, an .observer or judge using one of these systems had to be aware of the system itself, how it was used, what could be expected of it, its idiosyncrasies and a general appre- A convenient, accurate manner.

4 ciation of the field of job evaluation. In the use of applicants device, no such education or prior experience of the user is required. No lengthy discussion or explanations are necessary since the judge is merely asked to select one of the two jobs paired by each of the openings 20 in the four adjusted positions of the template 13.

Conceivably a pair-comparison system using cards could be utilized; however, it would be complicated by the requirement that n(n1) cards would be required. Thus in the illustrated instance, to similarly pair 24 subjects, 24x23 or 552 cards would be needed. The advantages by way of simplicity and convenience of the described device are at once obvious. Not only is the task considerably lightened but sheet 12 serves simultaneously as an element of the device and as a record or score of the results, whereas when cards are used the score has to be tallied on a separate sheet and in a less 7 Not only does the device disclosed tend. toward more reliable checking because of the judgment interruption factor resulting from the staggered relation of the open ings which keeps the judgeon the alert and increases his use of subjective judgment,,but it alsov affords a ple, at one time they are asked to compare job A with job D and then again to compare job D with job A. Also it permits acheck against the use of circular reasoning. For example, has the judge indicated in his judgment that A is more than D, D is more than E but that E ismore than A when to be correct or. consistent he should have judged E to be less than A. The analyz er thus can learnfrorn a study of marked shee t 12 both the relative importance of the jobs in the judgment of those doing the checking and alsothe reliability of the judgment of the checkers. V J h It will of course, be understood that many other changes and/or modifications in the illustrated device may be made, and are intended to be included, within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims, the aforesaid description is therefore to be considered not in a limiting sense but, as illustrative. of the invention and how' it may be practiced.

Now having described'my invention, I claim:

1. A device for making pair comparisons between the items of a group comprising a squared baffle adapted for use with a record sheet having the items randomly arranged thereon in, two columns one along each of two adjacent sides of the baffle, said bafiie having'openings therein arranged to'define lines paralleling both dimensions of the bathe and spaced to align with the items columned on .the record sheet along its two adjacent sides, the openings in each line being less in number than the number of lines of openings in said baflle'and in offset relation to the openings in the lines thereof on their either side, said openings being further arranged and suflicient in number. that ,by rotation of thebaflile about its center to several such positions wherein the openings define lines in alignment with the items in the two columns, each of the items in each column may be individually paired by means of an opening with each item in the other column, the baffle efiectively barring vision of the record sheet therebeneath other than through said openings. V t

2. A device for making pair comparisons between the items of a group comprising a squared baflle and a record sheet, the said record sheet being adapted to have the items randomly arranged thereon ineach of two columns along two adjacentsides ofthe bafile, said baflie having openings therein arranged to .definelines paral- IQ d heet along its two adjacent sides, theopenings in each line being less in number than the number of lines of openings in said bafiie, and said openings being further arranged and sufiicient in number that by rotation of the bafile about its center to several such positions wherein the openings define lines in alignment with the items in the two columns, each of the items in each column may be individually paired by means of an opening with each item in the other column, the bafiie efiectively barring vision of the record sheet therebeneath other than through said openings.

3. A device for making pair comparisons between the items of a group comprising a squared baffie of essentially opaque material and a base having thereon columns of spaces along two adjacent sides of the bafiie in which columns of spaces the items may be randomly listed, said baffle having openings therein arranged to define lines paralleling both dimensions of the bafile and spaced to align with the spaces columned on the base along its two adjacent sides, the openings in each line being less in number than the number of spaces provided in said columns and in offset relation to the openings in the lines thereof on their either side, said openings being further arranged and sufl'icient in number that by rotation of the baflie about its center to several such positions wherein the openings define lines in alignment with the spaces of the two columns, each of the spaces of each column may be individually paired by means of an opening with each space of the other column.

4. A device for use in making pair comparisons of a group of subjects comprising a base, a squared bafiie member pivotally mounted on said base to turn about its center, said baflle member being effectively divided into squared areas of equal size and number in its two dimensions, said base having provision along two adjacent sides of said bafiie member to list said subjects in vertical and horizontal columns such that each subject in each column is aligned with a line of effective squared areas on the baflie member, and beginning with, and including one of the corner squared areas, every fourth squared area only, following a spiral pattern to the center thereof,

being provided with an opening through which the base may be marked, said baflle essentially barring vision of material therebeneath other than through said openings.

5. A device for use in making pair comparisons of a group of subjects comprising a base, a squared opaque baffle member removably mounted on said base to turn about its center, said bafile member being effectively divided into square areas of equal size and number in its two dimensions in accordance with the maximum number of subjects to be compared, a record sheet positioned between said squared bafile member and said base having provision along two adjacent sides of said baflie member to list said subjects in vertical and horizontal columns, so that each subject in each column is aligned with a line of efiective squared areas on the bafiie member, and beginning with, and including one of the corner squared areas, every fourth squared area following a spiral pattern to the center thereof being provided with an opening through which the record sheet may be marked.

6. A device for use in making pair comparisons of a group of subjects comprising a squared baifie member eifectively divided into lines of square areas of equal size and number extending in the direction of its two dimensions, said battle member being adapted for rotatable mounting on a base having provision for listing said subjects along two adjacent sides of said baflle member in alignment with said lines of effective squared areas on the bathe member, and beginning with, and including one of the corner squared areas, every fourth squared area following a spiral pattern to the center thereof being provided with an opening through which the said base may be marked when mounted therewith, the baflie eifectively barring vision therethrough other than through the openings therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 709,328 Jorgensen Sept. 16, 1902 1,118,014 Jennings Nov. 24, 1914 1,244,994 Leuchsenring Oct. 30, 1917 1,647,276 Daman Nov. 1, 1927 

